coming back up for air

[oldtimer]

I have felt like Sisiphys - the guy who had to keep pushing the stone on his back up the hill! After trying various DMARDs, I started on Azothiaprine as a last resort five weeks ago.

I'm still on prednisolone (which was put back up to 10mg when I came off hydrochloroquine - last one I tried)

But then just over two weeks ago had rip-roaring chest infection with rigors, and now have a wheezy chest and a flare-up of joint pain and swelling in the wrists and hands. And this infection screwed up the blood tests so I have been having them twice a week!!!

At last this week, although not back to my normal levels, no vampires for another week, put up the azothiaprine now, told not to alter the steroids and a review from the rheumy nurse not until three weeks time - they must be fed up with having to ring me back and go through all the complicated story again.

I suddenly noticed that my hand splints were in an awful state (hadn't used them for a bit), so I've an appointment with the occupational therapist coming as well to reassess me - she was lovely on the phone, too.

I just thought you guys would like to know that this down is now coming up and was just another of those dips on my life path, not a pit to crawl out of, however much it felt like that at the time.

[Hidden]

Oh Old Timer what a saga you've been having poor you. I really hope this time you can stay out of the pit and get your life path on an even keel with the Azothiaprine. At least your sense of humour has remained intact and will hopefully get you out of any future scrapes and you start feeling a bit less like Sysiphys with that stone very soon. Tilda x

[helixhelix]

Ditch Sisyphus and swap him for Atlas....

[PeteC]

Jeez Oldtimer.. but we have prednisolone!!

If you have a flare do you up your Prednisolone to combat it?

Personally I do and it nips it in bud ..for now that is ...

[sylvi in reply to PeteC]

Pete, my rheumy nurse has told me not to increase my steroids this time despite having a flare..

[sylvi]

It has been no fun trip for you has it. Lets hope that you are now over the worst. xx

[Hidden]

I'm a new-timer, at least as regards this disease, and what I want to know is how do you cope? Because it certainly looks like you do, though the way you describe it it's not easy. I don't think I've really accepted things yet. My MTX dose has gone up and my Pred dose has gone down & I'm starting to feel lousy again ... new and worrying sensations here, there and everywhere and even though my last blood test was promising I'm getting an idea of the merry-go-round so many of you have been on for ages .... or, like you say, the hill and the bloody rock. Hope you manage to keep away from both. xx

[oldtimer]

Everyone gets down from time to time - it isn't easy fighting your corner against RA.

I do try and change "I can't do" into "but I can do" and I have lots of aphorisms like:

If you suffer, thank God! It is a sure sign that you are alive.

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.

Everyone smiles in the same language.

Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.

Life is too important to be taken seriously.

and many more posted around the house to keep me going.

Hope some of that helps in those dark moments!